


What's a little blood between friends

by TeelLilies



Series: The Boar and the Shrike [1]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: ARCTIC EMPIRE, Blood and Injury, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Gore, Mutual Pining, Phil takes care of Techno, Pre-Relationship, how techno got his scars pog, mcyt - Freeform, technoblade never dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29650170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeelLilies/pseuds/TeelLilies
Summary: “I’m not done yet.” Phil muttered, moving to grab a wet cloth he had on standby and pointedly ignoring Techno’s confused look.“You know I can clean myself up right?” Techno scowled as the warm cloth was dabbed over his stitches to clear away any dirt or blood Phil had missed with his first pass.“Yea but I don’t trust you not to just go fall asleep like this.”
Relationships: Technoblade/Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: The Boar and the Shrike [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105247
Comments: 8
Kudos: 234





	What's a little blood between friends

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back bitches, bet you thought you'd seen the last of me
> 
> Anyways my usual disclaimer, no I'm not talking about the content creators here, just the characters. Don't come for my ass thx
> 
> Am I writing these out of order? Yes, and nobody is gonna stop me lmao. So here are some Antarctic empire shenanigans for y'all.

“Phil, you need to relax.” 

Techno’s gaze lingered on the man in front of him, even if there was blood marring the vision of his left eye. He could feel Phil’s hands trembling against his skin, between tracking the steady drip of blood from his face hitting his leg. 

“I’m-” Phil inhaled sharply, scrunching his eyes shut and steeling himself before meeting Techno’s look head on with a forced smile. 

“I’m fine mate, you’re just… not usually bleeding out from the face, you know.” He provided as a poor excuse, before he was looking back to the wound Techno knew was going to leave a nasty scar. A sword strike he’d just managed to miss that had cleaved through the flesh of his eyebrow and cheek. He was honestly just lucky that he still had his sight in that eye. 

In the moment it hadn’t even hurt that much, he’d been too hopped up on adrenaline. Reveling in the chaos and bloodshed, even with his own blood pouring down his armor. 

Armor that he hadn’t even had a chance to take off before Phil was all over him with medical supplies. The other man was scuffed up as well, some of his feathers broken in chunks, one of his legs visibly bruised between the plates of his armor and the torn leather underneath. And yet there he sat in front of Techno with a pad of gauze held against the taller man’s face. 

“And you usually don’t seem this shaken when I get hurt.” Techno mused, lifting a hand to cover one side of the gauze Phil held against the wound. He certainly put more pressure on it than his companion did, cramming the sterile cloth against the raw edge of his skin. 

“Pardon me for being concerned that you look like a horror show. I can see your skull through your forehead if you weren’t aware.” Phil looked a little green when he said that, glancing away to reach for another length of gauze. 

To be fair the bleeding had already started to slow, to a faint drip instead of the torrent that had soaked Techno’s face in the heat of battle, he’d had mouthfuls of his own blood between his own movements, practically frothing red at the mouth. It was still caked down his chin and throat, given that the wound was still open and he hadn’t had a moment to clean up yet. Hell, he could still taste it on his teeth if he focused right. 

“Still, I’m pretty obviously fine.” Techno remarked dryly, not needing instruction to take over holding gauze to his own face so Phil could rinse his hands and thread a needle that was on standby. His hands were already shaky, but as Techno watched him try and fail to thread a needle, he stifled a faint sigh. 

With his free hand, he moved to catch Phil’s wrist with blood-streaked fingers. 

“Here, let me see.” He released Phil’s wrist, before turning his hand over and motioning for the other man to hand him the needle and thread. Phil shot him a look of halfhearted protest, before deciding against it and placing both in Techno’s outstretched palm. 

Once Phil shifted to hold the gauze to his face to stop the bleeding, Techno took to threading the needle for his companion, squinting, but managing it far better than Phil had been. 

“How the hell are you so steady?” Phil muttered, worry still coloring his voice as he watched Techno finally thread the needle. 

The taller man simply shrugged, handing the needle back with a lopsided smile. 

“I’ve told you this kind of thing doesn’t bother me Phil.” He reminded his companion, earning himself another halfhearted glare as Phil set aside the gauze. 

“It  _ should _ . That could have killed you Techno.” Phil scowled, tying off the end of the thread before he set to work on Techno’s face. 

Techno found himself leaning in to give Phil better access, closing his eyes and focusing mostly on where Phil’s hand fell against his jaw to steady his face. Or perhaps it was a way for Phil to steady himself, Techno wasn’t sure and he wasn’t going to ask in all honesty. He didn’t mind the contact, and if it was helping Phil keep his head on straight, then so be it. 

“I’m fine Phil, really, you worry too much.” And that was saying something honestly. Phil didn’t even worry that much, he was just as much of a contributor to the chaos as Techno could be. Sometimes even more so. But he cared, more than he admitted sometimes. It was something that Techno had been learning as time went on and as they spent more and more time with each other on a day to day basis. 

Phil could be reckless and impulsive, but when it came to others he was generally a voice of reason. For… the most part at least. Plus he’d certainly taken time to patch Techno up more than once, but that was a two-way street. 

“Really, breathe,  _ you’re _ gonna be the one to blind me if you keep shaking like that.” Techno reached up to take both of the older man’s wrists. It earned him another stern look from Phil, but he forged on before Phil could open his mouth to retort. 

“I mean it, I’m okay. And while I appreciate you helping, I do value my sight a little bit, and I’d prefer if you didn’t stab a needle through my eye. Whether or not you actually mean to.” There wasn’t really any malice in the way he spoke, but he was firm. And he offered Phil’s wrists a light, reassuring squeeze before releasing his companion. 

There was still blood drumming a steady rhythm against his armor, but it had slowed considerably at least. And as Phil got back to work, Techno allowed himself to relax a bit more. 

Working carefully meant Phil had to slow himself down a lot, but Techno didn’t mind in all honesty. As far as bloodloss went, he was mildly woozy, but that was about it so far. He’d have something to eat once he was cleaned up, and then he’d crash, he’d be fine. 

“I’m not going to blind you.” Phil muttered, tugging the thread through Techno’s skin to pull more of his wound closed. Techno rolled his eyes quietly at that, trying to be at least somewhat relaxed to make things easier on Phil.

“That’s the plan I hope.” Techno muttered, before finally just falling quiet. Phil had stopped shaking like a leaf at least, so there was that. And once he relaxed some, Techno could start to properly relax as well. Yes the needle repeatedly puncturing his skin wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was better than a sword to the face, or just leaving the wound open. At least with some stitches he had  _ some  _ chance of the scarring being less severe.

“I’m still surprised you kept going after this.” Phil finally spoke up after a long few minutes, working across Techno’s cheekbone with his needle and thread. Techno offered a quiet affirmative hum, opening his eyes once more to look over his companion. 

“What else was I supposed to do? Let them win?” He thought back to the scene when it happened, the way people seemed to wilt under the onslaught he continued to deliver. He’d barely broken step when someone had tried to blind him. So he wasn’t surprised that people seemed freaked out when he remained not only standing, but fighting. 

“I’m not saying that it’s just-” Phil thought for a moment, staring into space with the tip of the needle resting gently against Techno’s skin. 

“Most people wouldn’t be able to just, take that in stride you know?” Phil eventually decided, earning a raised eyebrow and a faint snort from Techno. Techno could give Phil some slack when it came to underestimating him. They hadn’t known each other for an abundantly long time. But he’d figured the other man would have picked up on at least some of his behaviors after what time they had spent together. 

“Your problem there is ever assuming I’m most people.” He scoffed, shifting how he was sitting when he had the chance to. Leaning down against his knees like he had been was starting to make his back hurt under his armor. But he’d humor Phil in at least letting the other man stitch him up before he retired to his quarters for the night. 

For the moment though, it was Phil’s turn to roll his eyes, a faint shimmer of amusement crossing his features. Well at least he could still amuse Phil even when he was in the middle of being patched up after a big fight. So there was that. 

“I’ll keep that in mind for the future. Now hold still.” Phil muttered as Techno shifted again. The taller man made a reluctant sound before forcing himself to hold still, looking up at the ceiling as Phil worked further down his cheek, nearly to the end of the slash.

The steady drip of blood had finally stopped, but Techno could still feel the blood oozing between his stitches. He’d need to have bandaging on his face for a while, and he hated the idea but honestly he was just glad to have a friend around to do most of the hard part of the process. He’d have stitched himself up if he had to of course, but it was just easier to have Phil do it for him. Plus he didn’t mind the firm hand against his face forcefully holding him still. 

After another few minutes, Phil finally pulled back, tying off the end of the thread and looking Techno over. 

“There, that should hold for now.” The older man still looked faintly worried as his eyes dragged across Techno’s face.

It hurt like a bitch, of course. Techno was incredibly aware of the throbbing pain down the side of his face, coupled with the tightness of the stitches holding his skin together. But it wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever endured, and hopefully it would heal relatively quickly if he made himself rest for a few days. 

“Thanks, Phil.” He hummed as he finally sat back, stretching his back and shoulders with a wince. But as he moved to stand, there was a hand at the collar of his armor, pulling him back down. 

“I’m not done yet.” Phil muttered, moving to grab a wet cloth he had on standby and pointedly ignoring Techno’s confused look. 

“You know I can clean myself up right?” Techno scowled as the warm cloth was dabbed over his stitches to clear away any dirt or blood Phil had missed with his first pass. 

“Yea but I don’t trust you not to just go fall asleep like this.”

Techno opened his mouth to protest, but one look from Phil had him shutting up with a grumble. He wasn’t going to admit it but Phil  _ was  _ right. It was more than likely that he would have peeled his armor off, collapsed into his bed still filthy and gone right to sleep. 

“Don’t forget I’ve been living with you for months.” Phil spoke up after seeing Techno wrinkle his nose. He didn’t stop doing what he was doing though, the cloth running down Techno’s jaw. Phil was just following the drying blood down the line of Techno’s throat but it was distracting. 

“Sometimes I swear you act like you’re my father.” Techno muttered, looking up to the ceiling as Phil’s touch pressed against his collar, running the warm rag against his skin at the neckline of his armor. He was trying not to think about it, the warm press of someone else’s hand against his skin. Sure Phil still had the wet rag balled up between them, but it was enough. 

He knew Phil had a kid, where said kid tended to be on a regular basis, he wasn’t sure. He’d just never expected for Phil’s mannerisms to spill over to him as well. If this was going to be the new routine though… He wasn’t sure if he minded. Even when Phil’s touch flittered over a bruise on the front of his shoulder. The rasp of the cloth against his skin didn’t hurt, but he knew that by the next morning he would be a collage of bruises.

“I’m  _ trying _ to make sure you don’t neglect yourself. You don’t exactly make it easy.” As he spoke, Phil lifted his free hand to catch the side of Techno’s face. The taller man froze as Phil abruptly pulled him back down. For a brief moment, Techno’s heart leapt into his throat without warning as he was pulled level to bright, stern blue eyes, essentially forced to look Phil in the eyes before his head was turned away. 

He realized quickly that Phil was going for the blood that had dripped down from his hairline on the other side of his face. Part of him hoped that the heat on his face would go unnoticed. Or that Phil would blame it on the chastizing earlier. But for the moment Techno allowed himself to fall silent, just tracking the way Phil rubbed at the side of his face. Or the other hand still holding him steady at his jaw. 

It was always a surprise just how calloused Phil’s hands were, down to his fingertips. Of course, if anyone thought for even a moment or two, the callous made sense. Phil worked hard and fought hard. Techno was sure the layers of tough skin had built up from time spent farming, forging or fighting. Hell, he wondered sometimes if Phil had rougher hands than  _ he _ did. 

“Alright, give me your hands.” Phil pulled back once more, re-settling himself on the chest he’d taken a seat on. Techno took a moment to process what Phil was asking of him. Hands? Why did Phil need his hands? More importantly why the hell was his head so scrambled. A beat passed before he realized that his hands were as caked with blood as the rest of him. Clearing his throat faintly, he offered up his hands to Phil. 

“I uh, I hadn’t thought about that.” He finally managed with a faint laugh as Phil took his right hand. Techno couldn’t help but watch as Phil worked. The way the other man gently supported the back of his hand before running the freshly-rinsed cloth against the inside of his wrist, down across his palm. It left a clean trail behind, even if Techno’s skin was still stained faintly pink from the blood being allowed to dry. 

“That’s why I’m doing it. We’re not doing laundry for another few days and you’d fucking ruin your sheets like this.” Phil said, all while Techno watched him cover his whole hand with the cloth, running it over the back of his hand a few times. The other man paused after the last pass, his thumb over the cloth covering each of Techno’s fingernails to get the last of the blood.

With that he turned to rinse and re-wet the rag he held, before he was reaching for Techno’s other hand. Without a thought, Techno shifted, placing his left hand in Phil’s. 

“You should wear gloves or something when you fight.” Phil made a face, flicking a clump of gore from the heel of Techno’s hand before he set to work again.

“I thought about it but I don’t really feel like washing a pair of gloves every time I fight someone.” Techno had once worn gloves to try and keep the callous on his own hands to a minimum. But he’d long since abandoned it. It had started to affect his fighting at times, making his hands too slippery whenever he actually got blood on them. 

Phil just shrugged, going quiet for a long moment as he worked over Techno’s hand carefully. Techno would go back later and get all of the dried blood out from under his nails, but he was sure that was less pressing to Phil anyways. 

So for a moment he just enjoyed the quiet, watching Phil idly and occasionally glancing to his face. It seemed like Phil had calmed down after their ordeal earlier. Even if he still looked a little pale. Techno could only wonder why Phil had been so squeamish about his face. He’d seen Phil tear someone’s cheek apart with the point of his sword and not bat an eyelash. That wasn’t even the only thing. And yet when it was Techno, for some reason it was different? He couldn’t help but wonder.

Eventually though, Phil finished up, finally putting the rag into the bowl he’d been using and sitting back to look at Techno. 

“Okay, now I won’t stop you if you want to go to bed.” Phil looked tired, but he mustered a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Trying to kick me out now? That’s pretty rude Phil.” Techno scoffed, offering a lopsided smile as he got to his feet finally. That time Phil didn’t drag him back down, just offering a tired hum from where he sat. 

“Are you going to rest too?” He continued as he reached for the clasps on his chestplate. His back had cramped up again while he was sitting still for the other man, so he’d be glad to have it off. Phil just offered a noise of agreement as Techno pulled his chestplate off, rolling his shoulders out of reflex. 

Having the weight of the diamond off was a good start. Techno could stretch out his arms one at a time as he went to hang the chestplate on his armor stand. The fine material was still splattered with blood, but he would deal with it when he was less sore and less tired. Behind him he listened to Phil standing and beginning to do the same. 

Quiet fell between them again, punctuated by the occasional clatter of armor as they both stripped down to their normal clothing. Techno was still drenched with what had gotten between the plates of his armor, but it wouldn’t be that bad once he’d changed into something better to sleep in. But as he stretched, readying himself to finally leave and track back to his bed, Phil spoke up again. 

“Shit, Techno I think I’ve got a broken clasp.” Phil’s voice grabbed his attention, and Techno was quick to turn to look at what Phil meant. 

The way Phil’s armor was constructed, meant that there were a couple of fastening points between his wings. It also meant that his chestplate was in three pieces in the back, but generally he could handle it himself. 

Techno moved closer to look though, and sure enough, one of the metal clips had been bent in such a way that it would have to be bent back into shape before it could be undone. Something that Phil probably couldn’t do while trying to reach back between his wings. How he had managed such a thing was beyond Techno, but he definitely wasn’t going to leave his companion to deal with it alone. 

“Did you get hit or something? How did you do that?” Techno scoffed, reaching up to plant a hand between Phil’s shoulders while he tugged at the clasp. Phil just shrugged, feathers rustling faintly in Techno’s peripheral vision. That was fair enough. Techno knew that he could be the same way in a fight, all that mattered was the enemy in front of him. He was spatially aware sure, but something so minor? He wouldn’t notice until later, just like Phil hadn’t. 

He tugged on the piece a few times before realizing he’d need to push against Phil’s armor as well. 

“I’m gonna have to pull on this pretty hard, don’t fall over on me old man.” Techno shifted his stance before pressing his hand flat between Phil’s wings. Hopefully with the right leverage he could at least get the clasp to release and they could repair the damage once it was off Phil. The other man just nodded though, shifting before he gave Techno a thumb’s up. 

With that Techno pushed between Phil’s shoulders, all while pulling at the stubborn clasp. 

For a moment nothing budged, but as he pulled against the metal, eventually, with a snap, it came undone with a snapping sound. 

As it did, Phil went spilling forward with the force of Techno pressing between his shoulders. A sound of surprise rising in his throat as his wings stretched out instinctively. 

Techno only had a moment to react before he was reaching out for Phil to keep the other man from falling, He ended up catching the shorter man around the waist, hands finding purchase on Phil’s sides before he was pulling him back to his feet with a small laugh. 

“I told you not to fall over on me.” He snorted, grinning under the look that Phil shot him over his shoulder. Before he was clocked by a heavy wing against his side. It wasn’t enough to knock him over. But it still got another laugh out of him as Phil, flushed from embarrassment, pulled out of his light grip. 

“You’re the one that pushed me, you dick.” Phil wrinkled his nose, but Techno could see the smile threatening to cross his face. Motherfucker still had a good sense of humor at least, so Techno had to give him some kind of credit. But for the moment he left it, watching Phil carefully take his armor off and flex his wings out for a moment.

He’d always found Phil’s wings interesting. They were gorgeous, the feathers usually laid neatly, ever so faintly iridescent in places. And seeing Phil soar around effortlessly was something he was sure he’d never tire of. 

There was once that Phil had misjudged his landing, Techno had been standing in the snow watching him, and Phil had meant to land to speak to him. Instead Phil had gone bowling right into Techno and knocked them both backwards down a hillside. It had taken them about ten minutes before they’d been able to get up between how tangled up they were, and the laughter that had followed. 

“What? Do I have something on my wings?” Phil’s voice pulled Techno out of his thoughts, and he blinked for a moment before shaking his head. 

“Sorry, I was thinking.” He looked away, moving to stretch his arms up over his head. He needed to rest, he was too easily distracted by small things. And who knew when the next attack would come. 

“I’m gonna turn in though, still want to do that border check tomorrow?” Techno hummed, shaking his hair out properly before he started to make for the door. A single glance back showed that Phil was still working on hanging his armor up, not looking away from what he was doing. 

“Yea, sounds good.” Phil nodded, stooping to make sure the armor stand hung his things properly. 

“Alright, good, I’ll see you in the morning Phil.” Techno yawned, leaning briefly against the doorway out of the storage room as he looked out at the rest of the complex. He waited to hear Phil’s faint ‘goodnight’ before moving to make his trek to bed. 

**Author's Note:**

> As usual I always love reading comments, and try to reply to them when I can!


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